Kailyard school
Encyclopedia
The Kailyard school of Scottish fiction
was developed about the 1890s as a reaction against what was seen as increasingly coarse writing representing Scottish
life complete with all its blemishes. It has been considered as being an overly sentimental representation of rural life, cleansed of real problems and issues that affected the people. Its name derives from the Scots
"kailyaird" or "kailyard", which means a small cabbage patch (see kale
) or kitchen garden
, usually adjacent to a cottage.
Writers of the Kailyard school included J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan
), Ian Maclaren
, J. J. Bell
, George MacDonald
, Gabriel Setoun
and S. R. Crockett
.
The Scottish Renaissance
was a reaction against Kailyardism.
Scottish literature
Scottish literature is literature written in Scotland or by Scottish writers. It includes literature written in English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Brythonic, French, Latin and any other language in which a piece of literature was ever written within the boundaries of modern Scotland.The earliest...
was developed about the 1890s as a reaction against what was seen as increasingly coarse writing representing Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
life complete with all its blemishes. It has been considered as being an overly sentimental representation of rural life, cleansed of real problems and issues that affected the people. Its name derives from the Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
"kailyaird" or "kailyard", which means a small cabbage patch (see kale
Kale
Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane , a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. Boiling decreases the level of sulforaphane; however, steaming,...
) or kitchen garden
Kitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
, usually adjacent to a cottage.
Writers of the Kailyard school included J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
), Ian Maclaren
Ian Maclaren
Ian Maclaren was a Scottish author and theologian.He was the son of John Watson, a civil servant...
, J. J. Bell
John Joy Bell
John Joy Bell , known professionally as J J Bell, was a journalist and author. Born in Hillhead, Glasgow, Bell was schooled at Kelvinside Academy and Morrison's Academy. He attended the University of Glasgow, where he studied chemistry...
, George MacDonald
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
, Gabriel Setoun
Thomas Nicoll Hepburn
Thomas Nicoll Hepburn was a Scottish poet and author who wrote under the pseudonym of Gabriel Setoun.He wrote poems such as 'Jack Frost', 'Romance' and 'The World’s Music.' He also wrote novels in the 'Kailyard school' style such as Barncraig and Robert Urquhart . He was born on 21 April 1861 in...
and S. R. Crockett
Samuel Rutherford Crockett
Samuel Rutherford Crockett was a Scottish novelist, born at Duchrae, Balmaghie, Kirkcudbrightshire, the illegitimate grandson of a farmer....
.
The Scottish Renaissance
Scottish Renaissance
The Scottish Renaissance was a mainly literary movement of the early to mid 20th century that can be seen as the Scottish version of modernism. It is sometimes referred to as the Scottish literary renaissance, although its influence went beyond literature into music, visual arts, and politics...
was a reaction against Kailyardism.
External links
- Kailyard School (1886-1896), The Literary Encyclopedia
- Scots Word of the Season: Kailyard, Maggie Scott, Lecturer in English Language, University of Salford, published in The Bottle Imp ezine by the Association for Scottish Literary Studies.